A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator element configured and arranged to receive a drive signal to discharge a liquid, the liquid being an ink including 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polar solvent. The waveform of the drive signal supplied to the actuator element includes a non-rectangular shaped pulse with a ripple being formed in a falling portion of the non-rectangular shaped pulse.
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5. A method of discharging a liquid comprising:
obtaining a drive signal by subjecting an original drive signal to non-linear current amplification; and
discharging a liquid by supplying the drive signal to an actuator element, a waveform of the drive signal including a non-rectangular shaped pulse having a plurality of ripples,
wherein the liquid is an ink including a polar solvent, with the polar solvent including one or more compounds among 1,2-hexanediol, triethyleneglycol-monobutylether, glycerol, propylene glycol, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl pyrrolidone, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, imidazole, oxazole, thiazole, pyrazole, isoxazole, isothiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, piperidine, piperazine, morpholine, 2H-pyran, 4H-pyran, ε-caprolactam, dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane, N-ethyl morpholine, 1,3-dimethy1-2-imidazolidinone, N-acryloyl morpholine, and N,N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone.
1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
an actuator element configured to receive a drive signal to discharge a liquid, wherein
the liquid is an ink including a polar solvent, with the polar solvent including one or more compounds among 1,2-hexanediol, triethyleneglycol-monobutylether, glycerol, propylene glycol, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl pyrrolidone, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, imidazole, oxazole, thiazole, pyrazole, isoxazole, isothiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, piperidine, piperazine, morpholine, 2H-pyran, 4H-pyran, E-caprolactam, dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane, N-ethyl morpholine, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, N-acryloyl morpholine, and N,N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone,
a waveform of the drive signal includes a non-rectangular shaped pulse having a plurality of ripples, and
the drive signal is obtained by subjecting an original drive signal to non-linear current amplification.
2. The liquid discharge apparatus as set forth in
an auxiliary power source circuit serving as a power supply source, and
an amplifier circuit configured to use power supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit to current-amplify an inputted original drive signal and generate the drive signal,
wherein the amplifier circuit is configured to current-amplify the original drive signal, with which the ripple is not formed in the waveform, to generate the drive signal with which the ripple is formed in the waveform.
3. The liquid discharge apparatus as set forth in
the amplifier circuit includes a plurality of unit amplifier circuits respectively connected to both the auxiliary power source circuit and the actuator element, and
among the unit amplifier circuits, one or two unit amplifier circuits are configured to supply a current to the actuator element using the auxiliary power source circuit as a source of supply of the current, in accordance with a voltage of a side that is connected to the actuator element.
4. The liquid discharge apparatus as set forth in
the amplifier circuit is a class D amplifier circuit.
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This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/221,846, filed on Mar. 21, 2014. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-059506 filed on Mar. 22, 2013. The entire disclosures of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/221,846 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-059506 are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid discharge apparatus and a method of discharging a liquid.
Related Art
An inkjet printer is known, with which ink is discharged onto a print medium from a plurality of nozzles provided to a print head. With the inkjet printer, actuators element provided so as to correspond to each of the nozzles of the print head are driven in conformity with a drive signal supplied from a drive circuit, and the ink is thereby discharged from the nozzles.
Because a capacitive element, such as a piezo element, is utilized as the actuator elements of the print head, driving the actuator elements requires an ample supply of electrical current. For this reason, the inkjet printer of such description is provided with a current amplifier circuit for amplifying the current of the drive signal. Known as such a current amplifier circuit are: a linear amplifier circuit, such as a class AB amplifier circuit, with which an input signal is amplified by an amplification element without alteration; and a non-linear amplifier circuit, such as a class D amplifier circuit, with which pulse width modulation or pulse density modulation are applied to amplify the current with a switching circuit. In general, a non-linear amplifier circuit has an advantage over a linear amplifier circuit in that less power is consumed. For example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 2009-123456, Japanese laid-open patent publication 2009-190287 and Japanese laid-open patent publication 2010-114711.
However, there remains room for improvement in printers provided with a non-linear amplifier circuit.
In order to resolve at least in part the above-mentioned problem, the present invention can be implemented as the following aspects.
A liquid discharge apparatus according to one aspect includes an actuator element configured and arranged to receive a drive signal to discharge a liquid, the liquid being an ink including 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polar solvent. The waveform of the drive signal supplied to the actuator element includes a non-rectangular shaped pulse with a ripple being formed in a falling portion of the non-rectangular shaped pulse.
According to this configuration, the ink discharged by the liquid discharge apparatus contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polar solvent, in order to increase the viscosity, and therefore even though the waveform of the drive signal includes the ripples, it is possible to suppress discharge operations during a single instance of which a plurality of ink droplets are discharged or after which the ink droplets are separated into a plurality. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of failures of the inkjet printer or deterioration in the image quality of the printed images. Because the waveform of the drive signal does include the ripples, however, the actuator element experiences a minute acceleration/deceleration, and therefore it is possible to minimize the inertia that acts on the actuator element immediately after a cavity volume is contracted as a discharge operation. This makes it is possible to suppress an increase, caused by excess (overshooting) of the actuator element immediately after the discharge operation, in the amount of ink discharged. Also, when the discharge operation includes minute fluctuations, then minute fluctuations in the amount of deformation of the actuator element or a minute variance in the volume of a cavity, of each individual printer, can be absorbed. That is to say, it is possible to suppress a variance in the discharged amount caused by manufacturing errors.
There are a variety of forms with which the present invention can be implemented. For example, it would be possible to implement the present invention in such forms as a drive circuit and drive method for driving a liquid discharge head, a method for controlling a liquid discharge apparatus, a print apparatus and print method for printing by discharging a liquid, a computer program for implement the functions of these methods or apparatuses, or a recording medium in which the computer program is recorded.
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
The control unit 10 is provided with a main control section 120, an interface (IF) 140, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 160, and a main power source circuit 180. The main control section 120, when the print data is acquired from the host computer, executes a predetermined process and generates nozzle selection data (drive signal selection data) for defining those nozzles of the print head 20 from which the ink should be discharged, or the amount of ink that should be discharged. The main control section 120 outputs a control signal to the IF 140 and the DAC 160 on the basis of the print data, the drive signal selection data, and the like. The control signal supplied to the IF 140 is supplied to a head control section 220 via the IF 210. Digital control data dCOM is supplied to the DAC 160 as a control signal. The DAC 160 converts the control data dCOM to an analog original drive signal COM, which is then outputted to the print head 20. The main power source circuit 180 supplies a power source voltage to each of the parts of the control unit 10. Also, the main power source circuit 180 supplies power source voltages VO, G to the print head 20. G is the ground potential, and herein serves as a reference of voltage zero. The voltage VO serves as a high side, with respect to the ground G.
The print head 20 is provided with drivers 30, nozzle actuator elements 40, an auxiliary power source circuit 50, the IF 210, the head control section 220, and a selection section 230. There are a plurality of the nozzle actuator elements 40, provided so as to correspond to the plurality of nozzles. There are a plurality of the drivers 30, provided so as to correspond to each of the nozzle actuator elements 40. The nozzle actuator elements 40 are drive elements for causing the ink to be discharged from the nozzles, and are constituted of capacitive elements such as piezoelectric elements (piezo elements). The nozzle actuator elements 40 are provided as a plurality so as to correspond to each of the plurality of nozzles with which the print head 20 is provided, and one end thereof is connected to an output terminal of the drivers 30 and the other end is grounded to the ground G. The nozzle actuator elements 40 are provided to a cavity (ink chamber), and when driven with a drive signal aCOM, cause the ink to be discharged by changing the volume of the cavity.
The drivers 30 drive the nozzle actuator elements 40 in conformity with the original drive signal COM acquired via the selection section 230 from the DAC 160. More specifically, the drivers 30 are configured to comprise a non-linear amplifier circuit, and supply the drive signal aCOM, obtained when the original drive signal is subjected to non-linear current amplification, to the nozzle actuator elements 40. The term “non-linear current amplification” herein refers to amplification with which minute fluctuations not present in the waveform of the original drive signal COM are included in the drive signal aCOM. The drivers 30 use the power source voltage supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit 50 to carry out a power source amplification. The configuration of the drivers 30 shall be described in greater detail below.
The selection section 230 has a plurality of analog switches 232 corresponding to each of the plurality of drivers 30. One end of each of the analog switches 232 is connected to an output terminal of the DAC 160, and the other end is connected to an input terminal of the corresponding driver 30. Each of the analog switches 232 switches between on and off, depending on the control signal that is outputted from the head control section 220. That is to say, the selection section 230 supplies the original drive signal, supplied from the DAC 160, to one or more drivers 30 selected from among the plurality of drivers 30, in conformity with the control by the head control section 220. The head control section 220 acquires the control signal from the main control section 120 via the IF 120, and controls the selection section 230 in conformity with the acquired control signal.
The auxiliary power source circuit 50 uses a charge pump circuit to step up the power source voltage VO supplied from the main power source circuit 180, and also divides the stepped-up voltage. Generated as the divided voltages are a voltage that is a factor of 1/6 of the stepped-up voltage, a voltage that is a factor of 2/6 thereof, a voltage that is a factor of 3/6 thereof, a voltage that is a factor of 4/6 thereof, and a voltage that is a factor of 5/6 thereof. The auxiliary power source circuit 50 supplies the stepped-up voltage VH and the voltages generated by the division to each of the drivers 30.
A plurality of ripples Pr are formed in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM. The “ripples Pr” refer to minute stepped parts that are not present in the waveform of the original drive signal COM but are included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM. The ripples Pr occur due to the properties of non-linear amplifier circuits (here, the drivers 30). When the falling portions FE of the waveform of the drive signal aCOM include the ripples Pr, a minute fluctuation is created in the operation of contracting the cavity volume (discharge operation) by the nozzle actuator elements 40. For this reason, in one instance of the discharge operation, a plurality of ink droplets are discharged, or discharging is followed by easier division into a plurality of ink droplets. The ink droplets divided into a plurality are light-weight and therefore could potentially become an ink mist, more readily attaching to the variety of mechanical parts constituting the printer 1 and causing failure of the printer 1. Failure of the ink droplets to land on the anticipated landing positions could also possible cause deterioration of the image quality of the printed image.
The present inventors have, however, discovered an advantage provided by having the ripples Pr be included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM. More specifically, when the ripples Pr cause the discharge operation to include the minute fluctuations, the nozzle actuator elements 40 experience a minute acceleration/deceleration, and therefore it is possible to suppress the inertia that acts on the nozzle actuator elements 40 immediately after the cavity volume has been contracted. That is to say, when a drive signal aCOM, such as per
The present inventors have discovered that, while having the waveform of the drive signal aCOM include the ripples Pr in order to take advantage of the aforementioned advantages imparted by the ripples Pr, increasing the viscosity of the ink is effective as a method for solving a problem where the ink droplets are divided because of the ripples Pr. More specifically, it has been discovered that the ink used for the printer 1 preferably contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %, more preferably 1 to 7 wt %, of a polar solvent in order to increase the viscosity. In general, long tailing occurs in the ink droplets when the viscosity of the ink is high, and this tailing divides into a plurality of ink droplets when the ink is in flight; therefore, the image quality is more likely to deteriorate. The term “tailing” herein refers to thread-shaped streaking of the ink that is formed on the rear side in the direction of travel of the discharged ink droplets (main droplets). However, the drivers 30 of the present embodiment carry out non-linear amplification, not the linear amplification seen with class AB amplifier circuits, and therefore the waveform of the drive signal includes the ripples. For this reason, when an ink that is not high in viscosity is used for the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the ink droplets experience separation and the image quality decreases. Accordingly, with the printer 1 of the present embodiment, using an ink that contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %, preferably 1 to 7 wt %, of a polar solvent makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of the separation of the ink droplets in flight. Also, using an amplifier circuit that carries out non-linear amplification, as with the drivers 30 of the present embodiment, makes it possible to minimize the power consumed by the printer.
Though not particularly limited, possible illustrative examples of the polar solvent included in the ink are 1,2-hexanediol, triethyleneglycol-monobutvlether, glycerol, propylene glycol, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl pyrrolidone, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, imidazole, oxazole, thiazole, pyrazole, isoxazole, isothiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, piperidine, piperazine, morpholine, 2H-pyran, 4H-pyran, ε-caprolactam, dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane , N-ethyl morpholine, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, N-acryloyl morpholine, and N,N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone. Of these, 1,2-hexanediol is preferably contained, in order to improve the discharge stability.
Another example of a preferable component composition of the ink shall be illustrated. Preferably, the ink contains at least a colorant, a photopolymerizable resin, a photopolymerization initiator, and a polar solvent. Preferably, the photopolymerizable resin included in the ink is constituted of oligomer particles in an emulsion state and a monomer present among the oligomer particles. Any one or more species from among 2-pyrrolidone, N-acryloyl morpholine, and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone is preferably contained as the polar solvent included in the ink; more preferably, 2-pyrrolidone or N-acryloyl morpholine is contained. Because the photopolymerizable resin is constituted of the oligomer particles in an emulsion state and the monomer present among the oligomer particles, the photopolymerizable resin is uniformly dispersed in the ink and stored in this state for a long time. Also, the polar solvent composed of the any one or more species among 2-pyrrolidone, N-acryloyl morpholine, and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone is contained at a proportion of 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %, the print stability can be successfully improved. The ink film strength obtained after light irradiation can also be raised in a case where 2-pyrrolidone or 2-acryloyl morpholine is contained as the polar solvent.
Preferably, the viscosity of the ink is set in accordance with the magnitude of the ripples Pr included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM. That is to say, larger ripples Pr means that the ink droplets discharged in one instance of the discharge operation are more readily separated into a plurality, and therefore further increasing the viscosity of the ink makes it possible to suppress the separation of the ink droplets. In a case where the ripples Pr are small in relation to the viscosity of the ink, however, the tailing of the discharged ink droplets causes the ink droplets to more readily separate into a plurality, and therefore lowering the viscosity of the ink makes it possible to suppress separation of the ink droplets. Preferably, the magnitude of the ripples Pr is set according to the viscosity of the ink, provided that it is possible to adjust the magnitude of the ripples Pr included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM in the drivers 30.
According to the printer I described above, the drivers 30 include a non-linear amplifier circuit, and therefore it is possible to minimize the power consumed more so than with a printer that comprises a linear amplifier circuit. In turn, according to the printer 1, because the ink contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % in polar solvent, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of separation of the ink droplets during discharge even though the waveform of the drive signal includes the ripples. The occurrence of separation of the ink droplets caused by tailing can also be suppressed. Moreover, according to the printer 1, because the waveform of the drive signal includes the ripples, it is possible to suppress an increase, caused by overshooting of the nozzle actuator elements 40 immediately after discharge, in the amount of ink discharged. It is also possible to suppress a variance in the discharged amount caused by manufacturing errors.
Supplied to the driver 30 are seven types of voltage (ground G, VH/6, 2VH/6, 3VH/6, 4VH/6, 5VH/6, VH), including voltage zero, via power source wirings 511a to 511g. Out of these, five types of voltage, excluding voltage zero and the voltage VH, are supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit 50 via the power source wirings 511b to 511f, respectively. The description that follows understands the six unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f to have respective one-to-one correspondences with segments (six segments) between two adjacent voltages of the seven types of voltage. More specifically, the correspondences are as follows.
First unit amplifier circuit 34a: zero to VH/6
Second unit amplifier circuit 34b: VH/6 to 2VH/6
Third unit amplifier circuit 34c: 2VH/6 to 3VH/6
Fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d: 3VH/6 to 4VH/6
Fifth unit amplifier circuit 34e: 4VH/6 to 5VH/6
Sixth unit amplifier circuit 34f: 5VH/6 to VH
The driver 30 is configured so that out of the six unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f, only the unit amplifier circuit 34 for which the output voltage Vout is included in the above segments functions. In each of the unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f, segments of corresponding voltages are called “corresponding segments”, while lower limit values of corresponding segments are called “low-side voltages” and upper limit values of corresponding segments are called “high-side voltages”.
The operational amplifier 32 has an input terminal connected to the selection section 230 and an output terminal connected to each of the unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f via an input wiring 521. The operational amplifier 32 amplifies the input voltage Vin supplied from the input terminal in accordance with a previously set voltage amplification factor, and supplies the amplified input voltage Vin to each of the unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f. Herein, the description understands the voltage amplification factor of the operational amplifier 32 to be “1”, and understands the input voltage Vin to be supplied without alteration to each of the unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f. The unit amplifier circuits 34 are current amplifier circuits for supplying a current to the nozzle actuator element 40, using the auxiliary power source circuit 50 as a source of supply of the current, and are configured so as to comprise a level shifter 36, two transistors (a high-side transistor 341 and a low-side transistor 342), and two diodes 351, 352.
The high-side transistor 341 is a P-channel type metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), and the low-side transistor 342 is an N-channel type MOSFET. A drain terminal of each of the two transistors 341, 342 is connected to the nozzle actuator element 40 via an output wiring 522. A gate terminal of each of the two transistors 341, 342 is connected to an output terminal of the level shifter 36. A source terminal of the high-side transistor 341 is connected to that power source wiring 511 by which the high-side voltage of the unit amplifier circuit 34, in which the high-side transistor 341 is included, is supplied, out of the power source wirings 511a to 511e. A source terminal of the low-side transistor 342 is connected to that power source wiring 511 by which the low-side voltage of the unit amplifier circuit 34, in which the low-side transistor 342 is included, is supplied, out of the power source wirings 511a to 511e. For example, the source terminal of the high-side transistor 341 of the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d (low-side voltage: 3VH/6, high-side voltage: 4VH/6) is connected to the power source wiring 511e, by which 4VH/6 is supplied. The source terminal of the low-side transistor 342 of the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d is connected to the power source wiring 511d, by which 3VH/6 is supplied. In the description that follows, a high-side transistor included in an N-th unit amplifier circuit 34M is also called the “N-th high-side transistor 341M”, and a low-side transistor 342 included in the N-th unit amplifier circuit 34M is also called the “N-th low-side transistor 342M” (where N=1 to 6 and M=a to f).
The level shifter 36 takes either an enable state or a disable state, and when in the enable state, supplies a voltage obtained by shifting the inputted input voltage Vin to the two transistors 341, 342. The level shifter 36 takes the enable state when the signal supplied to a negative control end, labeled with a circle in
The diode 351 has an anode connected to the drain terminal of the high-side transistor 341 and a cathode connected to the nozzle actuator element 40; the current is prevented from flowing from the nozzle actuator element 40 to the drain terminal of the high-side transistor 341. The diode 352 has an anode connected to the nozzle actuator element 40 and a cathode connected to the drain terminal of the low-side transistor 342; the current is prevented from flowing from the drain terminal of the low-side transistor 342 to the nozzle actuator element 40.
The comparators 38a to 38e are provided with two input terminals and one output terminal; one of the input terminals is connected to the output wiring 522 and the other of the input terminals is connected to one of the power source wirings 511b to 511f extending from the auxiliary power source circuit 50. The power source wirings to which the other of the input terminals of the comparators 38a to 38e is connected and the voltages supplied from the power source wirings are as follows.
First comparator 38a: Power source wiring 511b: VH/6
Second comparator 38b: Power source wiring 511c: 2VH/6
Third comparator 38c: Power source wiring 511d: 3VH/6
Fourth comparator 38d: Power source wiring 511e: 4VH/6
Fifth comparator 38e: Power source wiring 511f: 5VH/6
In each of the comparators 38a to 38e, the voltage supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit 50 via the power source wiring 511 is also called the “corresponding power source voltage”. The comparators 38 compare the voltage (output voltage Vout) of the output wiring 522 and the voltage (corresponding power source voltage) supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit 50, and output the H level when the output voltage Vout is not less than the corresponding power source voltage but output the L level when the output voltage Vout is less than the corresponding power source voltage. The output terminal of each of the comparators 38a to 38e is connected to the positive control end of the level shifter 36 of the unit amplifier circuit 34 for which its own corresponding power source voltage is the low-side voltage, and to the negative control end of the level shifter 36 of the unit amplifier circuit for which its own corresponding power source voltage is the high-side voltage. For example, the output terminal of the fourth comparator 38d (corresponding power source voltage: 4 VH/6) is connected to the positive control end of the fifth level shifter 36e of the fifth unit amplifier circuit 34e (low-side voltage: 4 VH/6) and the negative control end of the fourth level shifter 36d of the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d (high-side voltage: 4 VH/6).
Connected to the power source wirings 511b to 511g is one end part of mutually different capacitors C (capacitors C1 to C6). The power source wirings 511b to 511g are connected to the ground G via the capacitors C1 to C6.
According to the driver 30 of the first example, described above, the operating unit amplifier circuit 34 is switched in accordance with the output voltage Vout during generation of the drive signal aCOM, and therefore it is possible to form the ripples Pr in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM. Also, because the operating unit amplifier circuit 34 is switched in accordance with the output voltage Vout according to the driver 30, it is possible to reduce the loss of energy that occurs during charging and discharging of the nozzle actuator element 40. The reason for this shall be described below.
Formula (1) represents the energy P that is lost during charging and discharging of the nozzle actuator element 40.
P=(C·E2)/2 (1)
In the formula (1), C is the capacitance of the nozzle actuator element 40, and E is the voltage amplitude of the voltage that is supplied to the nozzle actuator element 40. In a case where, for example, there are not a plurality of unit amplifier circuits used, as with the driver 30, but rather the output voltage Vout is brought from 0 to VH using solely one amplifier circuit, then the energy lost will be P=(C·VH2)/2(E=VH−0). In the driver 30, however, the six unit amplifier circuits 34 function in sequence in a case where the output voltage Vout is brought from 0 to VH. For this reason, the energy Pi lost in each of the unit amplifier circuits 34 is Pi=(C·(VH/6)2)/2(E=⅙VH−0). Accordingly, the sum P of the energy lost is P=6(C·(VH/6)2)/2=(C·VH2)/12. Therefore, it will be understood that the driver 30, when compared to having a single amplifier circuit, makes it possible to reduce the energy lost P to ⅙.
One of the input terminals of each of the comparators 38ah to 38ef, 38al to 38el is connected to the output wiring 522, and the other input terminal is connected to the following power source wirings.
Pair of first comparators 38ah, 38al: Power source wiring 511b
Pair of second comparators 38bh, 38bl: Power source wiring 511c
Pair of third comparators 38bh, 38bl: Power source wiring 511d
Pair of fourth comparators 38dh, 38dl: Power source wiring 511e
Pair of fifth comparators 38eh, 38el: Power source wiring 511f
The output terminals of the high-side comparators 38ah to 38eh are connected to the positive control ends of the level shifters 36 of the unit amplifier circuits 34 for which the respective corresponding power source voltage thereof is the low-side voltage. For example, the output terminal of the fourth high-side comparator 38dh (corresponding power source voltage: 4VH/6) is connected to the positive control end of the fifth level shifter 36e of the fifth unit amplifier circuit 34e (low-side voltage: 4VH/6). In turn, the output terminals of the low-side comparators 38al to 38el are connected to the negative control ends of the level shifters 36 of the unit amplifier circuits 34 for which the respective corresponding power source voltage thereof is the high-side voltage. For example, the output terminal of the fourth low-side comparator 38dl (corresponding power source voltage: 4VH/6) is connected to the negative control end of the fourth level shifter 36d of the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34e (high-side voltage: 4VH/6).
The high-side comparators 38ah to 38eh compare the voltage (output voltage Vout) of the output wiring 522) and a voltage Vcm obtained when the voltage Vc (corresponding power source voltage Vc) supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit 50 is shifted by a predetermined value β in the minus direction (corrected voltage Vcm (Vcm=Vc−β), and output the H level when the output voltage Vout is not less than the corrected voltage Vcm but output the L level when the output voltage Vout is less than the corrected voltage Vcm. The predetermined value β can be set as desired within the range 0<β<VH/6. For example, the fourth high-side comparator 38dh outputs the H level when the output voltage Vout is not less than the corrected voltage Vcm (Vcm=4VH/6−β), but outputs the L level when the output voltage Vout is less than the corrected voltage Vcm. In turn, the low-side comparators 38al to 38el compare the output voltage Vout and a corrected voltage Vcm obtained when the corresponding power source voltage Vc is shifted by the predetermined value β in the plus direction (Vcm=Vc+β), and output the H level when the output voltage Vout is not less than the corrected voltage but output the L level when the output voltage Vout is less than the corrected voltage.
For the six level shifters 36a to 36f, the above-described configuration causes two mutually adjacent level shifters to be in the enable state at the same time when the output voltage is VH/6±β, 2VH/6±β, 3VH/6±β, 4VH/6±β, 5VH/6±β. For this reason, the six unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f are configured so that the corresponding segments of the voltages of two mutually adjacent unit amplifier circuits are partially overlapped. More specifically, the corresponding segments of the voltages of each of the unit amplifier circuits 34a to 34f are as follows.
First unit amplifier circuit 34a: zero to VH/6+β
Second unit amplifier circuit 34b: VH/6−β to 2VH/6+β
Third unit amplifier circuit 34c: 2VH/6−β to 3VH/6+β
Fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d: 3VH/6−β to 4VH/6+β
Fifth unit amplifier circuit 34e: 4VH/6−β to 5VH/6+β
Sixth unit amplifier circuit 34f: 5VH/6−β to VH
For example, when the output voltage Vout is 3VH/6, then two unit amplifier circuits, the third unit amplifier circuit 34c and the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d, function at the same time.
According to the driver 30A of the second example, described above, the operating unit amplifier circuit 34 is switched from one unit amplifier circuit 34 to another adjacent unit amplifier circuit 34 at an output voltage Vout near to which the other unit amplifier circuit 34 begins to operate before the one unit amplifier circuit 34 stops operating, and therefore it is possible to better minimize the magnitude of the ripples included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM in comparison to the driver 30 of the first example. For example, when the output voltage Vout rises and reaches 3VH/6−β, the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d begins to operate while the third unit amplifier circuit 34c also remains operating. The speed of rising of the output voltage Vout in the third unit amplifier circuit 34c does lower when the output voltage Vout approaches 3VH/6, but because the fourth unit amplifier circuit 34d is operating, the occurrence of lowering of the slope of the rising portion RE is suppressed. That is to say, the magnitude of the ripples Pr near 3VH/6 is minimized. The magnitude of the ripples that occur near 3VH/6 is also suppressed for a similar reason for the falling portion of the waveform of the drive signal aCOM, as well.
Compared to the driver 30A of the second example, a driver 30B of the third example is different in terms of the amount of shift in the voltage outputted to the transistors 341, 342 by the level shifters 36. The circuitry configuration of the driver 30B of the third example is similar to the circuitry configuration of the driver 30A (
According to the driver 30B of the third example, described above, the voltage gap GP (
The driver 30C current-amplifies the modulation signal MS outputted from the modulation circuit 82, and outputs a current-amplified modulation signal. The driver 30c is provided with a half-bridge output stage 85 composed of two switching elements (a high-side switching element Q1 and a low-side switching element Q2) for amplifying the current, and a gate drive circuit 84 for adjusting gate-source signals GH and GL of the switching elements Q1 and Q2 on the basis of the modulation signal MS coming from the modulation circuit 82. In the driver 30C, when the modulation signal MS is at a high level, the high-side switching element Q1 enters an on state, with the gate-source signal GH being at the high level, and the low-side switching element Q2 enters an off state, with the gate-source signal GL being at a low level. As a result, the output of the half-bridge output stage 85 is the voltage VH. In turn, when the modulation signal MS is at the low level, the high-side switching element Q1 enters an off state, with the gate-source signal GH at the low level, and the low-side switching element Q2 enters an on state, with the gate-source signal GL at the high level. As a result, the output of the half-bridge output stage 85 is zero. In this manner, with the driver 30C, the current is amplified by switching operations of the high-side switching element Q1 and the low-side switching element Q2 based on the modulation signal MS. The smoothing filter 87 smoothes the current-amplified modulation signal outputted from the driver 30C, generates the drive signal aCOM, and supplies same to the nozzle actuator element 40 via a selection switch 66 of the print head 20.
According to the driver 30C of the fourth example, described above, the class D amplifier circuit, which is a non-linear amplifier circuit, is used to amplify the current of the drive signal, and therefore it is possible to form the ripples in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM. Also, because the driver 30C is a non-linear amplifier circuit, the printer provided with the driver 30C makes it possible to suppress power consumption better than a printer provided with a linear amplifier circuit.
The present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments described above; rather, the present invention can be implemented in a variety of different embodiments within a scope that does not depart from the spirit thereof. For example, modifications as per the following would also be possible.
The driver 30 illustrated as the first through fourth examples is one example of an amplifier circuit with which the waveform of the drive signal aCOM includes the ripples Pr, but the drivers provided to the printer 1 are not limited to being the circuitry configurations illustrated in the above examples. That is to say, the printer 1 can employ any desired drivers, with which the waveform of the drive signal aCOM includes the ripples Pr. For example, the amplifier circuits disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 2012-10660 or Japanese Patent Application 2012-10662 may be used as the drivers 30. The ripples Pr included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM may also, however, include ripples other than ripples that are caused by the properties of the amplifier circuit. For example, the ripples Pr included in the waveform of the drive signal aCOM may include ripples formed by the impact of fluctuations in the voltage value of the power supplied to the printer 1, the magnetic force around the printer 1, or the like.
The circuitry configuration of the driver 30 illustrated in the first through third examples can be altered as appropriate. For example, instead of MOSFETs, bipolar transistors may be used as the transistors 341, 342. The number of unit amplifier circuits 34 provided to the driver 34 is also not limited to being six, and can be any desired number.
The components of the ink illustrated in the first embodiment are one example of the components contained in an ink that can be applied to the printer I, and the components contained in the inks to which the printer 1 can be applied are not limited to being the components illustrated in the first embodiment. That is to say, the printer 1 allows for the use of any desired ink that contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % in polar solvent. The specific components of the polar solvent contained in the ink are also not limited to being those in the first embodiment, nor are the components other than the polar solvent.
The present invention can also be applied to an apparatus other than an inkjet printer, provided that the apparatus be one that discharges a liquid (including a liquid body that has particles of a functional material dispersed therein, or a fluid body such as a gel). Possible examples as the liquid discharge apparatus of such description include: a textile printing apparatus for attaching a pattern to a fabric; an apparatus for spraying ink containing a dispersed or dissolved form of a material such as a coloring or electrode material used to produce a liquid crystal display, electroluminescence (EL) display, surface emitting display, or color filter or the like; an apparatus for discharging a biological organic material used to produce biochips; an apparatus for discharging a liquid to serve as a reagent used as a precision pipette; an apparatus for discharging a lubricating oil at pin points for a precision machine such as a timepiece or camera; an apparatus for discharging, onto a substrate, a transparent resin solution such as an ultraviolet ray-curable resin for forming, inter alia, a hemispherical micro lens (optical lens) used in an optical communication element or the like; a device for discharging an etching solution such as an acid or alkali in order to etch a substrate or the like; or the like.
Also, a part of the configuration that in the first embodiment was achieved by hardware may be substituted with software, or, conversely, a part of the configuration that was achieved by software may be substituted with hardware.
The liquid discharge apparatus of the embodiment may include an auxiliary power source circuit serving as a power supply source, and an amplifier circuit configured to use power supplied from the auxiliary power source circuit to current-amplify an inputted original drive signal and generate the drive signal. The amplifier circuit may be configured to current-amplify the original drive signal, with which the ripple is not formed in the waveform, to generate the drive signal with which the ripple is formed in the waveform. According to this configuration, it is possible to form the ripples in the waveform of the drive signal.
The liquid discharge apparatus of the embodiment may have a configuration in which the amplifier circuit includes a plurality of unit amplifier circuits respectively connected to both the auxiliary power source circuit and the actuator element, and among the unit amplifier circuits, one or two unit amplifier circuits are configured to supply a current to the actuator element using the auxiliary power source circuit as a source of supply of the current, in accordance with a voltage of a side that is connected to the actuator element.
According to this configuration, it is possible to form the ripples in the waveform of the drive signal, because the unit amplifier circuit that is operating is switched in accordance with the voltage of the actuator element-side when the drive signal is being current-amplified. Also, because the unit amplifier circuit that is operating is switched in accordance with the voltage of the actuator element-side, it is possible to minimize the energy that is lost during charging and discharging of the actuator element. This makes it possible to minimize the power consumed by the liquid discharge apparatus.
In the liquid discharge apparatus of the embodiment, the amplifier circuit may be a class D amplifier circuit. According to this configuration, because the liquid discharge apparatus current-amplifies the drive signal using a non-linear amplifier circuit, it is possible to form the ripples in the waveform of the drive signal. it is also possible to minimize the power consumed in comparison to a liquid discharge apparatus that uses a linear amplifier circuit.
In the liquid discharge apparatus of the embodiment, the ink may include hexanediol. According to this configuration, it is possible to further increase the discharge stability of the ink in the liquid discharge apparatus.
In the liquid discharge apparatus of the embodiment, the ink may include at least a colorant, a photopolymerizable resin, a photopolymerization initiator, and the polar solvent. The photopolymerizable resin may include oligomer particles in an emulsion state and monomer present in the oligomer particles. The polar solvent may include one or more species among 2-pyrrolidone, N-acryloyl morpholine, and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone. According to this configuration, it is possible to further increase the print stability of the liquid discharge apparatus.
A method of discharging a liquid according to the embodiment includes discharging a liquid by supplying a drive signal to an actuator element, the liquid being an ink comprising 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polar solvent. A waveform of the drive signal supplied to the actuator element including a non-rectangular shaped pulse with a ripple being formed in a falling portion of the non-rectangular shaped pulse.
According to this configuration, the ink discharged contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polar solvent, in order to increase the viscosity, and therefore even though the waveform of the drive signal includes the ripples, it is possible to suppress discharge operations during a single instance of which a plurality of ink droplets are discharged or after which the ink droplets are separated into a plurality. Because the waveform of the drive signal does include the ripples, however, it is possible to suppress an increase in the discharged amount caused by overshooting of the actuator element immediately after a discharge operation. It is also possible to suppress a variance in the discharged amount caused by manufacturing errors.
In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% of the modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Otsuka, Shuji, Kiyuna, Tadashi, Asanuma, Toshifumi
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